No Compromise For Quality

In the Johor Streets today

an Interview with Chef Long Thean Liang

at Lotus Desaru Beach Resort

Long Thean Liang, 46, is the executive chef of Lotus Desaru Beach Resort. He also owns the Magic 1 restaurant in Jalan 5/51, Penang.

The recipe for my Penang assam laksa is a gift from my mother who is a very good cook. She is 63 this year and lives in Batu Ferringhi, Penang.

My father passed away when I was five years old, and my mother single-handedly brought me up. I have no other siblings.

Though I am based in Johor now, I make frequent trips home to visit my mother, get my favourite prawn paste, and check on my restaurant in my hometown.

I can get prawn paste from a supplier in Johor but I have to be careful that it is made at the original factory.

Several years ago, I bought, what I thought was my preferred brand of prawn paste here. The packaging looked the same. When I used it to cook, I found it tasted different.

I read the label and discovered that it was not made at the original factory.

It was a genuine product except that it was made in another factory by the same manufacturer.

That is why I am particular about the ingredients that I use.

Although I am the executive chef of a resort, I try to go to the market myself to buy the ingredients that I need.

I am very fussy when it comes to certain ingredients, such as lemongrass, for instance.

Lemon grass is grown at the resort, but it is not enough for my kitchen, so I buy the rest from the market.

Recently I made another discovery and that is water also plays a part in the taste of a dish.

I discovered this when I got together with some friends from the northern states.

They decided to cook a dish that they specialise in.

We went to the market to get the freshest ingredients that we could find. After the meal was done, we found that the distinct taste from the north was not there.

No matter what we did, the flavour eluded us. We were dumbfounded.

Then I remembered having done an experiment once where I made a cup of Nescafe, and used water from a tap in Johor, and another cup using water from a tap in another state.

There was a distinct difference in the tastes of the two cups coffee.

You can try the same experiment, if you don’t believe me.

My mother worked hard to make ends meet when I was growing up. So I decided to leave school at a young age.

At the age of 16, I was already helping out in the kitchen of an eatery. It was different in those days. A kitchen helper had to peel the prawns and prepare the vegetables for the cook.

Being a kitchen helper nowadays is not as tough as the old days as many items are readily available in the frozen section of a supermarket.

My mentors were quick to reject any item that did not meet their standards. I think their mentality have rubbed off on me, and it is something to be thankful for because it is a chef’s pride and joy to serve the best to a diner.

I also learnt that I had to fine tune a recipe to suit the taste buds of local diners. What works in the north may not work in the south.

The different ethnic groups in the same local community have different preferences.

So, these are some of the things an executive chef has to bear in mind when drawing up the menu.

sourced from NST online

Johor Is The Top Investment Hub In Malaysia

according to Malaysian Investment Development Authority

sourced from NST online

By Rudy Fazrunisyam Samarudin

JOHOR BARU: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong did not discuss the Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) issue during the latter’s visit to the republic last Wednesday.

Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the issue was not raised when Najib and Lee jointly launched the Agrobazaar, a one-stop centre for Malaysian agro-based products from the Federal Agricultural and Marketing Authority, in the republic.

“The Federal government has a stand on the issue, and this will be announced in the near future,” he said at the opening of the state-level Exporters Forum organised by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) on Thursday.

On July 16, the government had given the green light for a VEP fee to be imposed on foreign-registered vehicles entering Johor. However, the rate and date of implementation have yet to be announced.

Collection from the VEP will be shared by the Federal and state governments.

In his speech at the forum, Khaled said Johor was on the right track to become the preferred investment destination with RM14.9 billion in investment recorded from January to May this year in the state.

Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) statistics place Johor as the top investment hub in the country followed by Pahang and Sarawak.

Project: Bihun Goreng Kampung

To celebrate the nation's 57th Independence Day, I decided to cook a meal. My project for the day: Bihun Goreng Kampung.

As I wield a pen more than I do a spatula, I am not expecting much.

But the dish turned out to be beyond my expectation. I don't know how I could churn out something so utterly tasteless.

Ok, maybe I'm being too hard on myself.  The dish can still be eaten after you add soy sauce. I did put ikan bilis, dried shrimp plus salt while I was cooking. Somehow it still tasted bland.

I don't think I'll  be having "bee hoon" for the next month or two. Maybe I should have stuck with nasi goreng kampung. Maybe that's why shops rarely offer meehoon goreng kampung.. Even those that have nasi goreng kampung and meehoon goreng biasa on the menu. When you request for the rice to be replaced with bihun, they'll say it can't be done.

(Note: bihun, meehoon and bee hoon all mean the same thing --- rice vermicelli)

But I will be wielding the spatula again --- sometime in the not too near future.  

I then went out and ordered myself

nasi goreng kampung at Lavender Bakery and Bistro that costs RM12 per plate.

So much for my little Hari Merdeka project. I think my office is having a potluck session soon. I'd like to contribute a home-cooked dish.

Also spent the day reading a book titled "The Power of Persistent Prayer" by Cindy Jacobs. It's a very nice read. You need to believe or else there is no need to pray. 

Sometimes when unfavorable things or obstacles cross your path, your faith wavers. Cindy preaches that it is the hard times that calls for one to pray even harder.

Though I haven't finished reading the entire book yet, I think I know now how I should pray and what I should be praying for.

In A Whimsical Mood

why do some fur kids get to be clothed in velvet and some are deprived of food, hugs and shelter from the cold?  One is a pet dog, the other a street dog whose mother had just been killed. 

How can we help the strays and keep them safe?

little fishes swimming in the blue green sea, do you have the answers that I seek?

maybe the answers will find me after I've indulged in a piece or two of this kek lapis cempedak.

maybe I'll just eat the whole cake.

I guess I'm just in a whimsical mood. I better go get some sleep. Maybe the answers will come in a dream or after a night of refreshing sleep.

Good night.

Thrill Seekers Head To Desaru

DESARU: Johor is giving this seaside town greater tourist appeal by turning it into a sports hub. A popular holiday destination, Desaru is expected to draw sports fans and outdoor enthusiasts with sporting events.

Johor state tourism department director Dr Badrul Hisham Kassim said major events were being planned for sports fans.

“It is understood that Kejora (Southeast Johor Development Authority) and the Kota Tinggi District Office are planning to host several sports events here to boost domestic tourism,” Badrul said.

In the pipeline is a Pesta Rakyat scheduled for early next year.

However, the details are still sketchy.

Lotus Desaru Beach Resort managing director Datuk P. Ramalingam said that the most recent event held here was the Triathlon Desaru 2014 with a turnout of nearly 1,000 participants and spectators.

There were 500 local and international participants as well as fans and family members.

“The participants had to swim swim (2km) , cycle (90km) and run (21km),” said Ramalingam.

Last year, extreme sport fans flocked here for the 7th Monsoon Mayhem International Surf Challenge 2013.

The annual challenge, supported by the Asian Surfing Championships, was organised by Bigfoot Industries Enterprise.

Its official partners were state Tourism, Johor Tourism Promotion Board, Johor Tourism Department, Kejora and Pulai Desaru Beach Resort and Spa.

Lotus Desaru also held a host of activities and provided facilities for thrill-seekers.

Outdoor and recreational activities offered here are not limited to water sports.

The activities offered by hotels and resorts here include rafting, jungle walks and adventure races that are meant to foster friendship and encourage teamwork.

Pulai Desaru Beach Resort marketing and communications officer Nurul Farahin Samsari said the resort would be introducing several water sports activities early next year and it was currently in discussions with a water sports operator.

Presently, its activities include all-terrain vehicle (ATV) rides, paint ball wall games, target shooting, horse-carriage rides and horse riding.

Meanwhile, Wong May Xian, 21, was spotted at Lotus Desaru recently trying her hand at parasailing.

Wong who is from Yong Peng said she had just resigned from her job in Singapore and wanted to “soar to the skies” in her first attempt at the sport.

“I am wearing my glasses although my friends are worried that they may fall off while I’m up there. I want to see everything clearly,” said Wong setting off.

It costs RM100 for a three to four-minute session.

Upon landing, Wong said she was not afraid at all, and the view was breathtaking.

- sourced from NST online

Malaysia, My Home, My Country

A little bit about patriotism, rules and regulations and a Hong Kong dog. 

sourced from NST online

by Chuah Bee Kim

STOP a youth anywhere and ask him how many stripes are there in the Jalur Gemilang or why is our national flag called the Jalur Gemilang and what do the colours represent.

I doubt many will have the correct answer, let alone be able to answer the question confidently.
When flags are being hoisted in residences and business premises, do they do it with pride and love for the country or are they following the crowd?

You have a flag, so I should also have one.

Are teachers and parents teaching the children about the colours of the Jalur Gemilang, its history, the protocols and etiquette of flying a Jalur Gemilang?

This year, I have yet to come across a tattered or worn-out flag, and I am glad.
I have seen such flags in previous years which is a disgrace.  Flags that are raised should not be faded or dirty. The same goes for the state flags.

If we truly love our country, we should not be keeping flags that look like rags.

I remember writing in 2010 about a Johor flag which was used to wrap papayas on a tree.
That was an ultimate insult.  I did a search on Google and found out that if a flag is to be flown at a certain spot, the static flag pole must not be less than 6.1m high.

If the flag is used as a decorative piece or flown for a certain period, the pole must be at least 3m high and no part of the flag must be allowed to touch the ground.

Did you know that a static flag is only allowed to be flown from 7am to 7pm, unless there is a floodlight on?

Flags at government departments are to be raised when the offices open in the morning and lowered after office hours.

In schools, the flag is to be raised in the morning and lowered after the last class.

When the national or state flag is flown from houses or shops, it should face the road and be secured on a pole at a 45-degree angle.

If two flags are flown, the Malaysian flag must be on the left side of the premises.

In Johor, the late Sultan Iskandar decreed in 1985 that the Johor flag must be given prominence and flown on the right side of the Jalur Gemilang.

However, on Merdeka Day, the Jalur Gemilang takes precedence and is flown on the right side of the state flag.  If there are three flag poles, the Johor flag is flown in the centre, the Malaysian flag on the right while the departmental, corporate or institutional flag is flown on the left.

On Merdeka Day, the Malaysian flag is raised in the centre and the Johor flag on the right.
During the Merdeka celebrations or official federal events, the Johor flag is raised after every third Malaysian flag is raised.

The cluster of miniature flags on a utility post also follows the same arrangement.

All flags used for decoration are to be removed two weeks after the event.

All the above were taken from a 2010 article.

I think in other countries, like Indonesia, for instance, the Sang Saka Merah-Putih (The Heirloom Red-and-White) or Bendera Merah-Putih (The Red-and-White Flag) is treated with utmost respect by its residents.

The mentality of the Indonesians and Malaysians are poles apart.

I am not sure about patriotism, but the mentality of Indonesians and those of Malaysians really differs when it comes to direct selling.

Allow me to stray a bit from the subject of patriotism.

Indonesians can make more money in a direct-selling entrepreneurship than a local because of the former’s drive, commitment and passion for the brand.

A local direct-selling agent shared this with me recently.

She said her downlines who are Indonesians really showed all the qualities I mentioned earlier, while her local downlines only treat the business like a part-time venture.

“I have been trying to change the people’s mindset for a long time, but the locals, maybe because they have had an easy life, would never go the extra mile to succeed in their direct-selling business,” said my friend.

Now back to patriotism. I believe some rules are not to be followed rigidly.
I am thinking of the family of five which recently dined at an eatery which prohibited guests to bring in outside food.

Four members of the family had ordered food from the restaurant but an elderly member of the family could only eat home-cooked meals, so when the family took out the food container for the senior citizen, they were allegedly asked to leave the eatery.  The nation is turning 57.  Can’t we exercise some common sense or at least courtesy?

And on a last note, please be kind to animals.

It really reflects badly on the nation if an animal’s welfare is not well taken care of.
The recent incident at a Hong Kong subway where a mongrel was killed when a train rammed into it has put the city in a very bad light.

The train commuters and staff of the subway were aware that there was a mongrel that had strayed onto the tracks but no one did anything to save the poor dog.

Our actions reflect our upbringing, our education and our beloved country will be judged by the world at large, now especially in the age of the Internet.

Happy Merdeka, folks!